Aims: This paper draws on findings from a larger La Trobe Rural Health School study that described and documented the psychosocial support needs of people with a cancer diagnosis from central Victoria. This paper provides an overview of support contexts, highlighting both met and unmet needs, and how medical and allied health professionals can assist.
Methods: Qualitative research methods were used to explore subjective experience and capture the voices of participants. 24 central Victorian participants, experiencing a range of stages and types of cancer and survival times, were interviewed. All interviews were audio recorded and transcribed for the purpose of thematic analysis.
Results: Findings demonstrate that psychosocial support is essentially informal. Participants either cared for themselves, or were supported by family, friends and community members; however, many psychosocial needs remained unmet. Significantly, despite the NHMRC clinical practice guidelines for psychosocial care of adults with cancer, formal psychosocial support was largely lacking, and not an inherent aspect of treatment or discharge protocols.
Conclusion: This study identified that, although helpful, informal psychosocial care can be problematic, and that formal psychosocial care is not routinely discussed by medical and allied health professionals. This has implications for treatment protocols and discharge planning, the doctor-patient relationship, as well as the long-term well-being of people living with and beyond a cancer diagnosis.